Chapter Eighty-Nine: The Deal!

The surroundings shifted once more. This time, dense thickets encircled him, and right before Veil, a deadly king cobra slowly flicked its slender tongue. Its strange, glowing red eyes fixed on Veil, locking his body completely.

This was the very scene when he had faced off against that venomous serpent!

“Tsk, tsk, you unlucky brat, to have run into something like this, heh heh... So, did you get bitten? I remember this kind of creature is extremely poisonous, isn’t it?” The Grand Priest’s mocking laughter echoed in his ears, and a sudden thought flashed through Veil’s mind... Could this guy be a twisted pervert, deriving pleasure from peering into others’ innermost thoughts?

Damn it! Why should my memories be laid bare for someone else? Just because that damned old man is a sick-minded voyeur?

Veil fumed inwardly, a surge of anger rising within him. Anyone would be infuriated by having their memories so shamelessly invaded, and for Veil, it was even more intolerable. Though he no longer lived in the era of the Divine Descendants, the pride of a God-Wielder had seeped into his very blood and bones! It was this very pride that drove him to recklessly cast magic despite the danger and the exhaustion of his mana, all to avoid falling into the hands of a foreign orc.

To forcibly control Veil’s body and wantonly read his memories—this was the greatest insult of all. Whether the old man meant it or not, he had already crossed Veil’s bottom line!

Veil focused all his senses on his sea of consciousness, gathering his mind to sense his own mana. That soft, oceanic pressure pressed upon his mind, not harming him physically, but sealing off his sea of consciousness as tightly as a boulder blocking a cave. He could not reach into his own mind to summon his power.

“Heh heh, thinking of some trick, are you, boy? Useless! I know you mages draw your power from that so-called sea of consciousness, where you store the mana needed for spells. As long as I control that sea, cutting you off from your source, you’re nothing!” The Grand Priest’s triumphant, sinister laughter rang in his ears.

Yet as Veil was racking his brain for a solution, his eyes suddenly lit up. He cursed himself inwardly for being foolish. That strange pressure blocked his internal mana, but could it block the magical elements of the world itself? He was a mage—he could forcibly draw the elements from nature, gather them around himself, and resonate them with his own mana. Other mages might not be able to manage this, but with Veil’s talent and understanding of magic, surely he could!

With this realization, Veil immediately released all his senses, closing his eyes to feel the flow of magical elements around him. Thanks to his extraordinary perception, he instantly sensed the abundance of elements nearby: red for fire, blue for water, green for wind, brown for earth, and even faint traces of white light and black darkness. Veil was not choosy; he simply drew them all in at once.

In a heartbeat, the elements swirled swiftly around him. Because the Grand Priest was no mage, he was oblivious to the sudden gathering of magical energy by Veil’s side. Under Veil’s control, the elements converged rapidly, their resonance multiplying. Within Veil, the mana in his sea of consciousness seemed to awaken, resonating with the outside surge.

His vast sea of consciousness, though sealed by that bizarre pressure, began to tremble with subtle ripples under the external resonance, especially the crimson crystal at its center. Dark red mana surged from the crystal, and in moments, it deepened in color to a bright, crystalline red.

Veil felt the powerful pulse of this red mana inside him and rejoiced. He knew among the seven magical attributes, only his fire magic had reached the level of an eighth-tier mage. He immediately dispersed the other elements, focusing solely on drawing fire, prompting a powerful resonance with the crimson mana in his sea of consciousness.

Without interference from other elements, the crimson mana’s resonance grew ever stronger, but the pressure blocking his sea of consciousness prevented it from being released. The resonance intensified, growing violent, until finally, an eruption was triggered! What’s more, Veil suddenly sensed a searing heat bursting within him, as though a bonfire had been kindled inside.

Every nerve contracted sharply, every muscle trembled, and he felt his blood roaring like stormy waves. His heart thundered in his chest like a mighty beast’s footsteps, and an unquenchable blaze raged within him.

At the peak of this mana riot, the strange pressure sealing his mind suddenly began to crack, minutely but unmistakably, under the onslaught of heat.

Veil’s eyes snapped open. His gaze burned like fire, locking onto the Grand Priest before him. A wicked, devilish smile curled his lips.

“Grand Priest, I find it curious—you’re an orc, aren’t you? How do you know so much about human mages?” Veil asked, and at that very moment, his previously immobilized fingers gave a faint twitch.

“Hey? Have you forgotten, boy? I can read anything in another’s mind. I pulled it all from your own memories.” The Grand Priest replied, but Veil did not believe him. He spoke in a strange, probing tone, “Oh? Is that so? You got all this from my memories? That doesn’t match up with those earlier scenes you showed me. If what you say is true, then tell me—what am I thinking right now?”

“Uh…” For the first time, the Grand Priest’s smug expression faltered. He glanced up at Veil, face full of confusion.

“Haha! Looks like I guessed right. You do have the ability to probe others’ innermost thoughts, but either you can only do it once in a short time, or you can’t use it when you’re reading memories!” Veil laughed aloud. At that instant, the Grand Priest noticed something uncanny: Veil’s skin had begun to glow faintly red, and his eyes, under the Grand Priest’s supposed control, showed not a trace of fear or shock. Instead, from the depths of Veil’s gaze, the Grand Priest saw unmistakable excitement, fervor, and confidence!

He even sensed a blazing inferno surging uncontrollably from Veil’s very core! In that moment, the Grand Priest was struck by an odd premonition—it felt as though it was not Veil who was under control, but himself!

Almost instinctively, the Grand Priest intensified his power, pressing down with all his might onto Veil’s sea of consciousness. But to his shock, the instant his force struck, a searing heat burst out from Veil’s body. The surging wave of heat nearly blew the Grand Priest off his feet!

“I say, Grand Priest, do you really think you can still suppress me?” Veil sneered at the shriveled old man before him. At the same time, a crimson flame erupted from Veil in an instant, catching the Grand Priest completely off guard. The sudden blast of fire nearly scorched off his eyebrows.

“#%$#%!” The Grand Priest chanted rapidly, forming a thick defensive barrier before him that blocked the raging flames. In that moment, the strange pressure he’d exerted disappeared without a trace, and the illusionary scene around them shattered completely.

Freed from the Grand Priest’s grip, Veil had no intention of letting the old man off. He flexed his hand—yes, his body was fully mobile again!

“You decrepit old fiend, watch how I finish you!” Veil gritted his teeth, and now, with the suppression gone, his mana flowed freely from his sea of consciousness. With a low shout, he swung his arm, and a chain of fire as thick as a barrel materialized, coiling around the Grand Priest’s barrier and lashing him, hurtling him like a piece of garbage against the wall.

With a thunderous crash, the wall caved in from the impact. The Grand Priest’s shield held firm, but he was left battered and dizzy within, not daring to drop his defense. If he did, the flaming chain would instantly bind him—being wrapped in a chain of fire that thick, well, he would know what true torment meant!

“Stop! Stop!” The Grand Priest, who had meant to defend himself, instead found himself trapped by his own doing. He cowered within his shield, terrified by Veil’s malicious grin. “I am the Priest of the Beastkin! The Grand Priest! Even that Sasa fellow wouldn’t dare treat me like this!”

“Heh, you could be the Grand Priest or just a lowly shaman, but you seem to have forgotten something. Your priesthood only means something to the beastkin. I am human! Sorry, but your beastkin hierarchy is meaningless to me!” Veil grinned wickedly, slamming the Grand Priest around several more times. To ensure the old man couldn’t escape, Veil even layered several thick webs of fire over the chain. Now, unless the Grand Priest was smashed flat or suffocated, he was going nowhere.

“Wait! Wait! Let’s talk! Let’s talk this out!” The Grand Priest, struck dizzy by Veil’s blows, saw stars and ached in every limb.

“Talk? Talk about what? Let me free you so you can take your revenge?” Veil sneered. With a flick of his hand, many wind blades appeared around him—precautions against any beastkin reinforcements. After all, this man was the Grand Priest of the entire beastkin race, a figure of high status, so Veil stayed alert. Yet, despite all the commotion, there seemed to be no reaction outside—not even that Sasa fellow came in.

“No! I swear, if you let me out, I will not take revenge!” the Grand Priest croaked from within his shield.

“Swear first!” Veil said coldly. He knew better than to trust the Grand Priest’s word. Even if the old man were honest, Veil would never just let him go.

The Grand Priest hesitated, but Veil gave him no time to think. After two seconds of silence, he acted!

“Wait, wait! I, Skanaoli, swear by my soul, I will not seek revenge! If I break this oath, let the gods abandon me, let me be devoured by beasts, my soul imprisoned for eternity!”

On this magical continent, no matter the race, oaths—especially those sworn upon the soul—were sacred. Hearing such a venomous oath, Veil finally stayed his hand.

“Ahem... Now, could you let me out?” Though protected by his shield, the Grand Priest could feel the intense external heat. As time passed, even breathing became harder.

“Let you out? Heh, well, perhaps in a moment,” Veil chuckled, nearly making the Grand Priest cough up blood in rage.

You think you can walk away after provoking me? Not so fast—you’ll have to bleed a little first!

Veil cleared his throat and said, “You know, after what you just did to me, shouldn’t you offer me something in compensation?”

What I just did to you? Look what you’re doing to me now!

The Grand Priest fumed inwardly but dared not voice it. He knew Veil was extorting him, but could only grit his teeth and ask, “Say it—what do you want?”

“Heh, it’s quite simple!” Veil grinned evilly. “Your despicable acts have caused me grave psychological trauma and irreparable harm, and furthermore...” Veil went on at great length, all high-sounding words, but with no real substance, driving the Grand Priest to gnash his teeth. Worse still, Veil then presented a string of demands.

His demands were: “I’m not greedy. This was your fault—I’m a victim here. Let’s see... Your people don’t seem to have much of value. Just compensate me with two or three thousand beastkin warriors, sixty or seventy ballistae, four or five hundred wagonloads of weapons, and, say, ten thousand pounds of gold. Not too much to ask, is it?”

Compensation? This brat is outright robbing me!

All the beastkin warriors in Massanga together barely number twenty or thirty thousand, and there are at most ten ballistae. As for weapons and gold... The beastkin may have plenty of ore, but this brat is too greedy! Four or five hundred wagons of equipment, and ten thousand pounds of gold!

“No!” the Grand Priest snapped, jaw clenched. Veil didn’t mind, sighing, “Too much? All right! How about a thousand warriors, forty ballistae, two hundred wagons of weapons, and forty thousand pounds of gold?”

“Eh?” The Grand Priest was momentarily stunned. He realized Veil didn’t really care about the first items—his focus was on the gold!

Only the gold? That’s easy!

The Grand Priest’s eyes darted. “How about this: I’ll double the gold—eighty thousand pounds! But nothing else.”

Eighty thousand pounds? He’d part with that much?

Veil was slightly suspicious. Eighty thousand pounds of gold, melted into coins, would form a small mountain! Such temptation was hard to resist. Yet Veil did not immediately agree. If the beastkin could so easily produce that much gold, just how vast were their mines?

If only Buck were here...

Veil thought to himself. If Buck was present, maybe that shifty fellow could use this chance to bleed the beastkin dry! At that moment, Veil’s eyes flashed with cunning. He grinned and said to the Grand Priest, “Let’s make a deal, shall we...?”